Machine for molding plastic articles



Sept 14, 1954 L. H. zEUN 2,688,941

MACHINE FOR MOLDING PLASTIC ARTICLES Filed April e, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTR. Zay/s /Zfa/V JQKNNWH ATTORNEY Sept. 14, 1954 L' H, ZEUN FOR MOLDING PLASTIC ARTICLES MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 6, 1951 IIII.. WKN? Patented Sept. 14, 1954 y '2,688,941 Y MACHINE Fon MoLDING PLASTIC ARTICLES Louis H. Zeun, Naugatuck, Conn., assignor to Peter Paul, Inc., Naugatuck, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application vApril 6, 1951, Serial No. 219,644

3 Claims. `(Cl. 107-8) This invention relates to a machine for molding plastic articless uch as candy molding machines. 'V y :The particular machine in connection with which the improvement has been developed and worked out, is the candy molding machine `i1- lustrated in Patent No. 2,000,027. In this machine thelcandy filling is pressed fromv a hopper in to dieser mold cavities in the periphery `of a drum or carrier. Y

vIn order to get anuniform product, the filling or plastic substance must be fed luider uniformv pressure. Too great pressure on .the lcandy squeezes out theloils and syrup which are essential for the proper candy filling. n

This invention has for its salient object to provide feeding mechanism for feeding plastic material or candy into matrices at uniform pressure.

"Another object of the invention is to provide a regulating mechanism in a machine of the character described so constructed and arranged that uniform pressure is exerted on the plastic material or .candyat a predetermined level.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the 'character described, so constructed and larranged that the production per machine will be materially increased and the productwill be uniform. f n

y Furtherobjects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken vinconnection with the drawings which form a part of thisapplication, and in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig.=2 is an end elevation ofthe left handend of the "machine shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is vertical sectional elevation taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional elevation through the screw feed mechanism for feeding the plastic material into the pressure chamber;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows; and l Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 'I-'I of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows. l

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, there is shown a rotatably mounted drum or carrier I0 having a plurality ofsets of matrices or mold cavities I I formed in the periphery thereof and adapted to receive the plastic material or candy filling. The drum or carrier I 0 is preferably rotated continuously by any suitable driving connections and the mold cavities pass beneath and in registration with a discharge opening or port I2 disposed below a pressure chamber I3.

After the plastic material or candy lllinghas been forced into the peripheral matrices of the carrier I0, the carrier is rotated and the materialin the mold cavities or matrices is discharged onto a belt I4. The details of the operation of the carrier and of the mechanism for discharging the contents of the mold cavities or matrices from the matrices onto the belt are not illustrated since they form nopart of the present invention and are disclosed in the patent above mentioned. l

The material which is discharged from the pressure chamber I3 into the matrices is fed into the pressure chamber by a plurality of screw conveyors' 20, which force this material through discharge outlets 2l into the chamber I 3. The screw conveyors receive the material from a hopper 22 and are operated in the following manner, attention being directed particularly to Figs. l, 2 and 5.

The conveyors are operated from a motor M through a gear box 25 which has a sprocket 26 0n which is mounted a' chain 21 which drives a sprocket; 28 loosely mounted on a shaft 29. The sprocket 28 has connected thereto a gear 30 which meshes with a gear 3| which is fixed to a shaft 32. Shaft 32 has also mounted thereon a gear 33 which meshes with gears 34 and 35 mounted on shafts 36 and 3l. Gear 35 also meshes with a gear 38 mounted on the shaft 29. Each of the worms 20 has mounted thereon longitudinally extending lugs or clutch members 40 which engage recesses 4Ik formed in clutch members 42 which are rotated by the shafts 36, 32, 31 and 29.

Each of the screw conveyors 20 discharges the material through a cylindrical tube 45 which communicates with the hopper 22 and with the discharge nozzle 2 I. Thus, as the conveyors are rotated, the material is fed from the hopper into the pressure chamber I3. f

Air pressure is exerted on the surface of the material in the chamber I3, compressed air being forced into the chamber from a suitable source through a pipe 46.

For the proper operation of the mechanism and in order to maintain a uniform pressure on the surface of the material, means is provided for maintaining the material in the chamber I3 at an approximately even or predetermined level. This is accomplished by means of the iioat valve illustrated in Fig. 3. In this iigure a lever 50 is mounted on a xed pivot I and has a ball 52 at one end adapted to contact the surfaceof the material. in the chamber I3.l The lever 5,0 is pivoted intermediate its ends at 53 to a vertical link 54 having an upwardly extending end 55:

movable into and guided by a tube 56 mounted on the top of the chamber I'f3 The link 54" has a slot 51 lintermediate its ends. which receives a. pin 58 carried by a lever 59- whiclm is mounted. on a pivot 60. The lever 59 has an extension 5I beyond the pivot 60 and the movement of the extension is limited by a stop pin 62'. The pivotv pin 60 for the lever 59 has extending upwardlyV therefrom, an arm 65, om the upper end of which is mounted a ball or weight. 56..,

When the lever 50 is raised by the material in the. chamber i3 from the full. line to.. the dotted Iine4 position inFig. 3, the link 54 will raise the pin 5B' of the lever 59 and as the lever 59 is raised the arm 65v and. weight 66 will' be swung over dead center position,ithus raising the end 1U of. the lever 59' into engagement with a switch S which is connected to and controls the operation of the motor M.. In this manner the drive for the screw conveyors 2 0' will be disconnected and the material willnot be fed thereby into the chamber. I3 until the level of the material' inthe chamber is lowered.,1 whereupon the float 52 will drop, thus lowering the link 5l and causing the lever 59' to move back toV the fuli line position shown in Fig. 3. Inv the manner jgustr described the material in the pressure cham.-

ber i3r will be maintained substantially at. a pre- Y determined level and the air pressure in the chamber will force. the material. into the matrices or mold cavitiesat a. uniform. pressure, thus producing a uniform product of the proper density' and content.

Although one specific embodiment,y of. the invention has been particularly shown and described, it willV be understood that the invention is capable `of modification andthat changes in the. construction and in the arrangement ofthe varions cooperating parts may be made without de` parting fromthe spirit or scope of the invention,` as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a continuously operating machine foi feeding highly viscous plastic material into mold. cavities, a chamber having a discharge opening disposed above the mold cavities, said chamber adapted to contain. a. mass. of viscous plastic material, power operated means for feeding material into said chamber below the normal operating level of the material in said chamber and maintaining a substantially constant level of material in said chamber, means controlled by the level of the material in the chamber for starting and stopping the operation of said power operated feeding means, and means. for exerting a. constant, uniform pressure on thefmaterial in the chamber.

2. In a continuously operating machine for feeding highly viscous plastic material into mold cavities, a chamber having a discharge opening disposed. above the. mold cavities, said chamber adapted' toT contain a mass of viscous plastic material,V power operated means for feeding material into said chamber below the normal operating llevel of the material in said chamber and maintaining asubstantially constant level of material in said chamber, means including a control member disposed. above the feeding. inlet. into saidv chamber and'. controlled bythe level of the material in the chamber for starting and. stopping the operation.l of said power operated feeding means, and means for exerting. a constant, uniform pressure onthe material in the cham.- ber.

3. In a continuously operating. machine for feedingy highly viscous material.. into mold cavi.- ties, a pressure chamber having a discharge opening disposed abovey the mold cavities, said chamber adapted to contain a mass of' viscous plastic material, a hopper, conduits from the hopper to the chamber, the discharge ends of saidv conduits in the chamber beingidisposed below the normallevel 'of' the material; in the chamber, power operated means for forcing thematerial. through the conduits into the chamber, means. controlled by the level of the material inthe. chamber for starting and stopping the operation of said' power operated feeding means, and means forv exertingv a constantLuniform. pressure on the material in theY chamber.

References Citedv in the file of this" patent UNITED SVIMIIES..y PATENTS. 

